Twas The Night Before Christmas
by iheartflashpoint
Summary: Team One gets stuck working the Christmas Eve shift-only to make it home in time for Christmas. A Christmas Eve one-shot.


'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house, Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse. The stockings were hung by the chimney with care, In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there. The children were nestled all snug in their bed…

**NOT.**

"Ho, Ho, Ho" Greg chuckled loudly, bouncing into the briefing room in a bright red suit and large white beard. Everyone lifted their focus from their conversation as he chucked presents upon them.

"Aww thanks boss, you shouldn't have." Spike smiled placing his box on the table and diving into the bow to unwrap it.

"Yeah—You shouldn't have." Jules groaned as she lifted hers from the box. A bright green shirt read 'Santa's Elves' across it.

"I just thought during workouts tonight you all should match." Greg said with a cheesy smile as he watched the forced grins appear on everyone's face—except Spike. "Hey check it out!" Spike turned in a circle to show off his excitement for his new shirt.

"Whatever happened to being snuggled in bed with visions of sugar plums dancing in our heads?" Sam pointed out as he stuffed his shirt back into the box.

Ed turned on his heel, his eyebrows rose with a sly smile, "Well—Snuggling is one thing—but visions of sugarplums? I was thinking something else but nevermind…I agree—how come we got the Christmas eve shift? Nothing ever happens on Christmas eve."

"Who knows what idiot will rob a toy store on Christmas Eve?" Greg questioned.

"Uh—We can leave that to the Toronto Police, all we do is workout and sit around—when we could be at home with family." Wordy said in a somewhat saddened tone.

Greg shrugged, "Only six hours children—then you can all go snuggle up with your heated blanket and what-not."

Everyone laughed as they took their seats—except Spike—He skipped from the side of the room, "Hey now, hey now! I've got presents too!"

"Ooh what is it?" Ed asked curiously.

"Fruitcakes for everyone!"

Leah looked over to Jules, "And I thought the shirts were bad."

"Hey—I almost forgot, Shelley made everyone cookies." Wordy stood up and lifted the tray of red and green sprinkled cookies. "Psshh, My wife made peppermint bark—tell Shelley to try harder next time." Ed chuckled as he reached out with a tray full of peppermint bark.

Everyone dug into the goodies quickly.

"I brought sparkling cider." Leah said with a smile as everyone reached out for a glass. "But I brought beer." Jules cheered, holding up a case. "I'll take one, thank you very much." Ed smiled as he jerked one from her and popped the cap open. Sam gulped down a whole glass of cider in one sip, popped open a beer and chugged it, "Impressive eh?"

Jules smiled and rolled her eyes sarcastically, "Oh--I'm so jealous I don't have your talent."

"Sam?" Greg pointed out with a jolly chuckle.

"Uh—How long is break tonight?"

"Thirty-minutes." Jules sniped.

He looked around, "I uh—I forgot my group present at home, I'll go pick it up in a bit."

"You forgot, didn't you?" Ed laughed.

Sam shook his head, "No I didn't forget—I just got side-tracked."

"That's what they all say."

The team finished up their mini-party, tossed the fruitcakes and awkward shirts to the side and headed off for workout.

"I cant believe I don't get to read a Christmas story to my girls tonight." Wordy sighed.

"Clark caught me last year—He didn't believe in Santa anyways. When he was seven he woke up when I was putting money under his pillow. When he was eight he ran downstairs with a baseball bat and stood at the fireplace waiting for some fat guy to break into the house…I didn't get to finish up wrapping his gifts until about five in the morning. Sophie says its because I have heavy feet…do I have heavy feet?"

"You have heavy feet."

"Well damn."

------

Sam walked through the hallway from the men's locker room, only to find Jules admiring the plaque hanging on the wall that stated, 'Strategic Response Unit Team of the Year: Team One' It included a group picture, and the other years they had been awarded team of the year—For the past ten years no one had stood in their way of winning.

"Hey—." Sam whispered as he crept up on her and kissed her neck gently.

"Sam—Not here." She mumbled, grabbing his hand and pulling him to the side.

"Fine, fine—Look what I have." He smiled, lifting a present in his hand. She smiled slyly, "What is that?"

"Open it."

"Here? Sam—What if—?"

"Fine—You can open it tomorrow morning."

She nodded and turned on her heel, "Wait—are we spending Christmas together?"

"That's what you said last night."

Her eyes wandered, "No I didn't?"

"Well—You probably don't remember half the other things you said last night."

A grin appeared on her face as she lightly slapped him across the chest. "I don't know—."

"I think we should."

"Ya think?"

Sam nodded slowly and grinned.

"Hey I found the two turtle doves!" Ed yelled as he walked towards Sam and Jules. Sam tucked the present behind his back. "Hey what did you get me?" Ed chuckled.

"Eddie—Santa knows if you're being naughty or nice." Greg yelled as he dragged through the hall still wearing the huge suit.

"Yeah Eddie—Stop being a naughty little boy." Jules smirked.

Ed's jaw dropped, "And look who's being the naughty little girl down the hall talking to her little boyfriend while at work!"

"He's not my boyfriend. He's uh—showing me what he got his mom."

"Yeah—then what is it?"

"Um—Uh—Pshh I told him that I didn't have time to play right now. We're working."

Sam's mouth just mumbled around, "Uh—What she said." He replied in a confused tone.

Ed raised one eyebrow slowly, "So Sam-where's our gift?"

"Uh-Um-When's New Year's?" Sam shrugged off.

Ed rolled his eyes. "Santa—Can we leave now? Its almost 10pm."

"Only two more hours Eddie the Elf. We get off at midnight."

"What a sucko Christmas Eve." He growled, marching away and back to the gym. Greg glanced out the corner of his eye to see Sam and Jules exchanging weird looks then splitting different directions immediately.

* * *

"10—9—8—7—6—5—4—3—2—1—Merry Christmas and I'll see you all in a few days." Greg announced. He had gotten the team a few days break, and wished them all a Merry Christmas with their families.

"Well hallelujah—We can go home now." Wordy sighed a deep relief as he grabbed his bag and made a mad dash out the door.

Everyone exchanged smiles and best wishes for a good holiday before leaving.

"Boss?" Ed shrugged as he made his way into the dark briefing room.

"Yeah—Yeah buddy?"

"You ready for Christmas day to really set off?" He chuckled.

Greg shook his head low, "Another Christmas by myself? How wonderful."

"What? You and Sylvia aren't getting together?"

"She asked me to join her and her son, Andrew, for the whole Christmas day—but—I don't know—."

"Boss—Go spend Christmas with her—I'm sure Andrew would love having you around too."

Greg looked up at him, "Maybe—Maybe you're right."

"I always am." Ed laughed.

Greg stood up and headed out of the briefing room in his bright red suit. He placed the red hat on his head before Ed patted his back, shut off the lights, and locked up the briefing room. They stepped out into the cold, brisk Canadian Christmas air to find the parking lot covered in a thick, white snow.

"You know—when I was little, my mom would make me be in bed by eight o'clock on Christmas Eve because she _always_ forgot half the presents and she ended up at walmart at midnight finding last minute stuff I didn't need." Jules gave a soft smile, bundling her arms up in her thick winter coat. Sam raised his eyebrows, "You making a midnight run to Walmart tonight?" "You bet." She grinned and rolled her eyes as he kissed her cheek gently.

"Ho—Ho—Ho." Ed yelled across the parking lot as he saw Sam kissing Jules. Without pulling away she raised her middle finger at him. "Way to be in the Christmas spirit!" Ed hollered in reply.

"See now—See here, Leah, I tweaked the engine just a little bit to make it sound like Santa's sleigh." Spike explained. Leah shook with a frozen chill, "And how the hell do you know what Santa's sleigh sounds like?" Spike stared roughly, "Because I just—I just do."

"Spike shouldn't you be in bed?" Greg asked as he and Ed walked past his car.

"I thought the same thing." Leah sighed.

Ed looked around. "Where's Wordy?"

-----

"…While visions of sugarplums danced in their heads…" Wordy closed the book and kissed each of his sleeping daughter's foreheads goodnight and tucked them in gently as he turned down the light and shut off the Christmas lights.

A star shot across the sky at light speed as he watched the snow falling softly.

"Merry Christmas to all—And to all a goodnight."

**Okay, so I was so gonna do a part two to this…but I seriously don't think I have time. So I guess its just this oneshot? I hope yall liked it (: **

**Merry Christmas to Flashpoint Freaks all around the world! (: **


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